MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) thanked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for approving the release of over P1.4 billion to fund projects under the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn or PAMANA Program.

Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., expressed his appreciation to DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and her team for fully supporting the PAMANA Program, which is under the oversight of OPAPRU.

“Sec. Pangandaman’s approval of this crucial fund release for PAMANA is a resounding affirmation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision — that no Filipino should be left behind in the march toward lasting peace and inclusive progress,” Galvez said.

Restoring lives, rebuilding trust

The PAMANA Program, which is being jointly implemented by the OPAPRU and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is the national government’s flagship peace and development convergence initiative that provides community-driven interventions, particularly in areas affected by decades of armed conflict and underdevelopment.

The program has two tracks: the Peace and Development Project and the LGU-led Livelihood Track. Both are designed to empower communities through better services, infrastructure, and economic support.

Of the P1.4 billion, P351 million has been earmarked for the implementation of capacity-building projects in about 200 communities, while P1.049 billion will support sustainable livelihood programs for residents in 981 barangays in peace and development focus areas nationwide.

“Peacebuilding is not just about silencing the guns. It is about restoring trust, rebuilding lives, and ensuring that communities have the resources they need to develop and thrive,” Galvez emphasized.

“This funding will transform forgotten villages into beacons of progress, stability and resilience,” he added.

Healing the wounds of conflict

An integral component of the PAMANA budget is the P500 million allocation for peace and development case management — a comprehensive process that aims to help individuals, families, and communities heal from the impact of conflict and displacement.

“It is a healing fund — not just in monetary terms, but in the emotional and social sense. This is about justice, dignity, and hope,” Galvez noted.

Sustaining the gains of peace

The impact of the PAMANA Program is now being felt in communities through much-needed infrastructure facilities that are connecting communities, as well as livelihood programs that are enabling beneficiaries to earn sustainable incomes.

The funding approved by the DBM will ensure that these gains are not only preserved but expanded, reaching indigenous peoples in the highlands, former combatants, women, youth, and vulnerable sectors whose aspirations for peace are often their most courageous act.

“This is the kind of governance our people need — one that listens, acts, and delivers,” Galvez said, adding “Under this administration, the dividends of peace will reach each and every Filipino.”

“To President Marcos, Secretary Pangandaman and our other partners in the DBM and DSWD, thank you for proving that budgets, when aligned with justice and compassion, can become instruments of peace. Together, we are not just building infrastructure — we are building a better and brighter future for our people,” he concluded.###